Voters Strike Down New $13 Billion Airport Project in Mexico City

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Voters in Mexico called for the abandonment of the part-built, $13 billion airport project near Mexico City.

According to Reuters.com, Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador launched a four-day vote on the topic to determine whether to continue the construction of the airport or upgrade a nearby military airbase so it can be utilized for civilian transportation.

The city’s current airport, Mexico City International Airport, is Mexico’s busiest.

Only around one million people in Mexico voted on the fate of the project out of the 129 million residents in the country. Of those who came out to have their voices be heard, 69 percent voted against the new airport.

While the vote was considered a public consultation and non-binding, Lopez Obrador said he would respect the result. The outcome of the vote angered investors in the project and caused the strength of the peso to weaken.

In total, officials said canceling the Mexico airport project would cost about 120 billion pesos.